Michele Bachmann met with Grundy Center High School students and held a press conference on Monday morning (Jason Noble/The Register).

Grundy Center, Ia. – Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann had a special invitation to her rally and press conference at Grundy Center High School this morning.

It came from Sarah Johns, a GCHS student who supported Bachmann in a government-class straw poll and was assigned to research her candidacy as part of a caucus-themed project. In addition to learning about the candidates, Johns and her classmates were assigned to reach out to the campaigns.

She contacted Bachmann’s Iowa campaign hoping to bring a representative to class who could make a pitch on her behalf. But it just so happened Bachmann herself was available – a stop in Grundy Center fit nicely into the northeast-Iowa leg of her ongoing 99-county tour.

“I thought it was really exciting,” Johns said. “She was really nice and a lot more people came from the community than I expected.”

Johns and the three other students who supported Bachmann in class even got to meet her.

“She’s really nice and knows what she wants and she’s ready to go after it,” she said. “She’s willing to fight for what she wants, and that’s really good.”

Teacher Rollie Ackerman has assigned the caucuses project twice now, and both times has managed to attract a candidate. In 2008, it was Democrat Hillary Clinton.

“It’s wonderful that they’re able to take time out,” he said. “We’re very fortunate here in Iowa to be able to have this.”

Although Bachmann was the only candidate to take up the class’ invitation, she wasn’t its top choice. The straw-poll winner was Rick Perry, Ackerman said.